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India, Russia to hold tri-service military drills20 April 2017 ALEXANDER KORABLINOVThe large-scale drills will involve the armies, navies and air forces of both countries. The details will be finalised when Indian Defence Minister Arun Jaitley visits Moscow on April 25-26.

A Russian and an Indian servicemen during the Indra 2016 joint Russian-Indian military exercise at Sergeyevsky base, the Russian Far East. Source: Vitaly Ankov/RIA NovostiIndia and Russia are planning to hold large-scale military exercises involving their armies, navies and air forces, TASS reported on April 19.

“The Indra bilateral drills will for the first time be held with the participation of servicemen and military hardware of the Army, the Air Force and the Navy,” the news agency quoted an Indian Defence Ministry spokesman as saying. “This is the first instance when all the three armed services of the Armed Forces will take part in the joint drills.”

The final details of the drills would be worked out when Indian Defence Minister Arun Jaitley visits Moscow on April 25-26.

The armies and navies of India and Russia have been regularly holding the Indra joint exercises. The air forces of the countries held joint exercises in 2014.

Russia and India should hold regular air force exercises – expertRussia and India should hold regular air force exercises – expertIn March 2017, Air Vice Marshal (retired) Manmohan Bahadur, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Air Power Studies in Delhi, told RIR that the countries should hold regular air force exercises.

“Russia and India regularly hold joint ground and naval military exercises, but there are no air force exercises. And this is despite the fact that India’s main military aircraft have always been from Russia: MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, MiG-27, Su-30,” Bahadur said.

High-level talks in MoscowArun Jaitley, who holds the portfolios of finance and corporate affairs along with defence, will be in Moscow on April 25-26 to attend the 6th Moscow Conference on International Security.

Russia tried to organise a trilateral meeting of defence ministers with India and China, but Beijing expressed its refusal to be a part of this initiative.

In his meeting with Shoigu, Jaitley is expected to discuss the implementation of Indo-Russian joint projects such as the construction of Kamov helicopters in India, a project to construct Project 11356 frigates and the fifth generation fighter aircraft.

https://in.rbth.com/economics/2017/04/1 ... ast_746037Indians to get visa-free access to the Russian Far East19 April 2017 ILYA SPECTORIn a bid to attract tourists and business travellers, Russia has decided to waive visa requirements of citizens of 18 countries, including India. Visitors will need to register their personal details on a website before traveling to the region

Free trade agreement to open up market with potential of up to $62 billion

India is set to formalise a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, clearing the decks for negotiations on deepening trade relations with the five former Soviet republics.

The joint statement on the FTA is likely to be issued during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at St. Petersburg on June 1, Sunil Kumar, joint secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said here on Friday. Addressing a stakeholder consultation, he said the report of the Joint Feasibility Study Group had been accepted by both sides and the formal negotiations would begin by July.

The Eurasian Economic Union comprises Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The FTA is expected to open up a huge market with a trade potential of $37 to 62 billion.Trade between India and the five Eurasian countries stands at about $11 billion. “The FTA with the Eurasian countries was dictated by India’s need to diversify into new markets. We have a targeted trade of $30 billion with the five countries by 2025 and $15 billion annual investment,” Mr. Kumar said.

At the meeting, experts highlighted the need for better understanding of the challenges in the new market like non-tariff barriers and quality standards before the negotiations take place.

Mr. Kumar said the Eurasian market could open up new export opportunities for Kerala in medical tourism, IT and IT-enabled services, besides traditional sectors like spices, marine products, coir and rubber. He stressed the need for safeguards in the pact to protect the state’s interests. Exporters and representatives of trade organisations called for steps to prevent dumping of goods and misuse of the rules of origin. They also highlighted the need for clarity on sanitary and phytosanitary measures, import licensing, quantitative restrictions and trade remedies.

An assessment from G Parthasarathy... a professional diplomat with India's and only India's interest at heart... reveals the extent to which Russia is now playing a role aggressively hostile to Indian interests in Afghanistan.

With the Americans occupied in presidential elections, Russia entered the scene. Joined by China and Pakistan, Moscow tried to corner the Afghan government by seeking to act as a mediator/facilitator in promoting dialogue between Kabul and the Taliban.

The Afghan government was not amused and rejected Moscow’s offer, which echoed Pakistan’s strategic priorities.New Delhi also saw these developments as a diplomatic effort by Russia, Pakistan and China, to give the Taliban unacceptable international legitimacy. As Indian and Afghan displeasure and unease became evident, the Russians broadened the talks to include India, Iran, the Central Asian Republics and the US. The US declined to join saying that Russia had not answered its queries on what the precise purpose of the Moscow talks was.

The recent round of talks in Moscow with the expanded membership ended inconclusively. Backed by New Delhi, Afghanistan rejected Moscow’s moves to act as the Good Samaritan in brokering talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. The Taliban, in turn, with a so-called ‘office’ in Qatar, wants to be treated as an ‘equal participant’ in any talks with the elected Afghan government.Going beyond the limits that China has observed in its ties with the Taliban, Moscow has significantly broadened its contacts with the Taliban, in collusion with Pakistan. According to the Americans and the Afghan government, Russia has supplied the Taliban medium weapons, including machine guns. Moscow has also evidently persuaded Iran, its ally in Syria, to back its moves in Afghanistan. Given the American hostility towards it, Tehran has duly obliged Moscow, even though it had earlier worked together with India and Russia to back the ‘Northern Alliance’ against the Taliban.

India cannot afford to be confused about this. Our "friend", Russia, is intervening in our immediate neighbourhood in full concert with Pakistani interests, and in direct opposition to Indian interests. The Putin/Iran/Hezbollah axis that is fighting to preserve Assad's regime in Syria is aggressively intervening, at multiple levels, to ensure that a Pakistani ISI-backed Taliban Regime gains control of Afghanistan.

^^ Not all of it can be corroborated. Particularly the bits about Russia arming Taliban. Besides taliban leaders have been visiting Iran all themselves. Iran doesnt need Russia to convince them to oppose US presence in the region. It is more of a Chinese-Paki project. With Russia in the background. India would do well to talk to higher ups in Moscow than Zamir Kabulov, who is a muslim himself and might see less danger in Talibani Islamic extremism than others.

Last edited by Bhurishravas on 06 May 2017 15:06, edited 1 time in total.

The level of Russian apologia is impressive. A former HC to Pakistan, a known hawk, writes an assessment and friends of Russia clearly know better. As they say... Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is enemy action.

^^ Sometimes find it hard to make it if this site is BR or US-Rakshak or Russ-Rakshak. Seems its always easier to find a US PoV or Russian PoV than the Indian PoV in many of these foreign policy threads!!

Burish. you're spot on.Afghan policy must be discussed and agreed upon by the major pwoers,mainly Russia and the US. Both have strong interests,not to mention us! Russia,to prevent Islamic thrusts through Central Asia against it,the US to see that it once again does not become the HQ of anti-US forces like Al Q,ISIS or an anti-Talib entity,India from preventing it becoming a Paki satellite,with billons to be earned through the drug trade,and China which does not want an eastward expansion of Islamism,plus wants to secure Afghan mineral wealth and a route into C.Asia,Iran and the Gulf.India's red line.no removal of an Afghan govt. pro-India,that will be replaced by a pro-Paki one, inimical to India.

This is where India must convince the Russians that it in our huge strat. interest that this is achieved. Afghanistan to India must be shown to b as important as the Crimea to Russia.WE could sweeten a deal by offering to open a consulate in the Crimea.

sum wrote:^^ Sometimes find it hard to make it if this site is BR or US-Rakshak or Russ-Rakshak. Seems its always easier to find a US PoV or Russian PoV than the Indian PoV in many of these foreign policy threads!!

India has warned Russia that it will stall cooperation with its foreign partners for development of its civil nuclear programme if it is unable to become a full member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in the near future.

To make its point, it is threatening to put in cold storage an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Russia for developing Kudankulam 5 and 6 reactor units.

With Russia working increasingly in tandem with China on global issues, India has often looked at Moscow to persuade Beijing to let go of its opposition to India's membership.

Russia is now worried that India might be delaying the MoU to get Moscow to work more proactively for its NSG membership.

Taken aback by this Indian reluctance to seal the MoU, Russia's deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin took up the issue with PM Narendra Modi in their meeting last week, a top official source confirmed to TOI. Rogozin, however, left without any assurance from India on signing the MoU.

The meeting was held to prepare the groundwork for Modi's summit with President Vladimir Putin early next month. Moscow is worried that without the MoU, there will be no real takeaway from the summit which is barely two weeks away.

India's message, conveyed to Moscow through official channels, is said to have been quite explicit in nature.

It stated that without NSG membership in the next one-two years, India would have no option but to go for an indigenous nuclear energy programme.

TOI was unable to ascertain if a similar "threat" was made to the US and France, two other important partners in nuclear energy, but it's clear that the government sees Russia as the only big power which has enough influence with Beijing to soften its position on the issue of India's NSG membership.

It has been learnt by TOI that despite repeated exhortations for over six months, Russia has been unable to convince India to sign the MoU which was originally meant to have been signed on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Goa last year.

It was then said that it would be signed by the end of 2016 but halfway into 2017, India continues to hold back on it despite issues like pricing and technology having been long settled.

Moscow is concerned that India is not responding to its request for signing the MoU even weeks ahead of the Modi-Putin summit.

It sees nuclear energy cooperation as one of the most significant elements of its bilateral relationship with India.

India has at several levels in the past asked Russia to persuade Beijing, which continues to back a criteria-based, and not a merit-based approach as desired by India, for expansion of the global body which controls nuclear commerce.

While Russia has worked hard to secure support for India's membership, New Delhi clearly believes that it hasn't done enough to convince China which sees Moscow as a key partner in dealing with the emerging international situation.

However, the Russians seem to believe that India has only further complicated its case by inviting Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh and that this will only see China further hardening its position.

Russia's interests now converge sharply with China's as evident also from the way it has endorsed Beijing's ambitious OBOR project. Putin himself attended the OBOR conference this week, which India chose to ignore.

Russia, like several Indian neighbours, maintains that its endorsement of OBOR has nothing to do with the contentious CPEC which raises sovereignty issues for India.

Moscow's strategic embrace of Pakistan, made manifest in its first joint military exercise with the latter last year, has also spooked India.

That India might shun foreign collaboration in nuclear energy is also interesting.

The government only recently reiterated in Parliament that it expects to raise nuclear power generation capacity to 15,000 MW by 2024 from the 4780 MW that it was in 2014.

sum wrote:^^ Sometimes find it hard to make it if this site is BR or US-Rakshak or Russ-Rakshak. Seems its always easier to find a US PoV or Russian PoV than the Indian PoV in many of these foreign policy threads!!

Truth is always in the middle where the facts are.There will always be a point of view supporting one side or the other in even simple matters.

And this is complex.The best way is to steer keeping in mind what is in India's interests.

All these axis run through Pakistan.

I think foreclosing Pakistan is best option for India as Eurasia emerges.

To make its point, it is threatening to put in cold storage an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Russia for developing Kudankulam 5 and 6 reactor units.With Russia working increasingly in tandem with China on global issues, India has often looked at Moscow to persuade Beijing to let go of its opposition to India's membership.Russia is now worried that India might be delaying the MoU to get Moscow to work more proactively for its NSG membership.

The indian elite has seen that reducig dependence on hydrocarbons is the only way to free up Indian money from expensive imports and towards infrastructure development. So it first opted for increasing nuclear energy. But the recent developments on harvesting solar energy are forcing a rethink.India is going hammer and tongs on its solar energy programme now. Rather than depend on uranium imports, India can harvest clean solar energy on which it is investing big time. The current rethink on Russian reactors could be because of that. Positive for India.

"I think foreclosing Pakistan is best option for India as Eurasia emerges." Spot on R! After all the4se wasted years of futile diplomacy with Pak,nothing has changed .As the French say,"plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose"(the more things change, the more they stay the same).

Therefore I too some time ago came to the same conclusion that the destruction of the state of Pak as it exists now ,you've used a polite word,"foreclosure" instead, must be part of our grand strategy. From the Simla agreement between Mrs. G and Zulfie B,ABV's "bus diplomcy" (repayed with Kargil by Mush-a-rat),Snake-OIl's Baluchistan bonanza for Pak,to Mr.Modi's B'day visit to Nawaz S,every Indian gesture of peace and reconciliation to Pak has been returned by a savage barbaric brutality that no nation that has the slightest claim to be civilised behaves in such fashion. The only language that the Pakis understand in a sharp bayonet up their backside.It was delivered in '48,'65,71,and lastly at Kargil .The Pakis,esp. those in uniform ,now with a maniacal chief in charge,have short memories. It is past time for another dose to be administered. India has to first prepare thoroughly as FM Sam M did and beef up its forces accordingly.The first decision is to dramatically increase the def. budget to between 3-4% ,covert ops to start and increaae in scale,long with a diplomatic campaign for Baluchi independence,etc.,etc. Preventing Afghanistan from going the paki way is suicidal to India.Mr.M should thrash it out with Putin that the Taliban are nothing more than the Paki ISI in mufti and that we will protect our interests in Af-Pak even if it means going against Russian ones. We have to call a spade a spade.

Despite our wish to diversify our def. supplies,Russia is the only nation that gives us top-of-the-line eqpt. at reasonable cost (MKIs,BMos,Akula subs,S-400s,etc.) Mr.Modi should use this visit to firm up on critical needs of the 3 services which can be obtained from Russia asap,so that we will as early as possible be able to decide when to give Pak its next lesson militarily.

Austin wrote:Russian President Vladimir Putin and his former KGB colleagues visited an ex-East Germany station chief to wish their former boss well on his 90th birthday.

Whatever one might say that such photo-ops are political propaganda and notwithstanding the massive Putin demonizing in the western media, such events where Putin remembers people from his past and pays tribute to them leads me to believe that at least at a personal level there is a streak of sentimentality in the man. Something that cannot be said of many politicians, western and eastern alike.

37 years after his teacher who taught him German in 1967-68 (when he was in school in St. Petersburg), Putin met her in 2005 when visiting Israel and bought her an apartment.

It is also notable that he met with all world war two veterans from the Soviet Union. Quite a good thing. I think Putin's brother died in that war at St Peters burg due to ill health. Putin was not even born during that period. Funny how western media describes him as Nazi. He may be the despot. But not as much as Communist ruler of the past whom lefteees of the world.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay, refuted claims that India was holding back the MoU to make Russia use its influence over China in order to enable India's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). He also called the report "completely baseless, incorrect and mischievous".

Despite this, I have a feeling that Indians and Russians arent happy with each other and the relationship is going downhill. India with buying all stuff from Israel, US and Russia with its changed position on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Yagnasri wrote:It is also notable that he met with all world war two veterans from the Soviet Union. Quite a good thing. I think Putin's brother died in that war at St Peters burg due to ill health. Putin was not even born during that period. Funny how western media describes him as Nazi. He may be the despot. But not as much as Communist ruler of the past whom lefteees of the world.

But that is natural. The Western media will always prefer a drunk and docile Boris Yeltsin over a strong Putin. But all the Russians I meet here prefer Putin as the man that will look after Russia's interests.Gautam

Putin with whatever his positives or negatives is a nationalist. That is the problem of the West. They want a Yestsin 2.0, 3.0 and so on regular updates as Russian leaders. When they do not get it they are angry.

Putin is a die-hard Russian nationalist.Everyone forgets that Russia lost 27M in WW2! None of the other Allies lost anywhere close to that figure. Russia remembers how Napoleon had also tried to conquer it before Hitler. Therefore,when NATO starts moving its forces to Russia's boundaries,with no buffer zone of former Warsaw pact nations acting neutral (instead of being forced to join NATO) ,then Russian auto-defense measures start warming up. The US and NATO's expeditionary wars in Af-Pak and the M-East/Iraq/LIbya,regime-change agendas designed by die-hard Cold War veterans in the Anglo-Saxon world,has forced Putin to embark upon a masive mdoernisation and expansion plan of the Russian military and strategic forces. he has done a splendid job thus far.

In many respects Mr.Modi and Putin are similar creatures. Just as Putin has the history of invasion by the West to fear,so too does Mr.Modi and India of invasion by Islamic forces over the last 500 years from the NWEst,and Chinese from the North/NEast. We even had the Japanese from Burma in WW2.It is only nationalist leaders that can stem the rot in India and Russia,both nations who saw weak,spineless,leaders like Yeltsin and Snake-Oil Singh sell their nations to western robber-barons. With Trump in the White House and selling hundreds of billions of arms to the Saudis and Arabs,who plan to have their own Arab NATO led by a former Paki army chief, The warning light must have gone in in South Block. One sincerely hopes that Mr.Modi leverages as much as he can with Pres. Putin in a mutually beneficial manner so that both countries come out winners for the present and future. Russia is perhaps the only constant friend whom we have which does not have designs upon us unlike others who wish us to be a dutiful vassal .

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay, refuted claims that India was holding back the MoU to make Russia use its influence over China in order to enable India's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). He also called the report "completely baseless, incorrect and mischievous".

Despite this, I have a feeling that Indians and Russians arent happy with each other and the relationship is going downhill. India with buying all stuff from Israel, US and Russia with its changed position on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The only way some one will listen to us is if we do some thing , Else we will be a cry baby.

We must enforce change not expect change would happen on its own , Instead of complaining to Russia China US etc we must act on our own and put the dice in their court.

The least we must do is take back POK from Pakistan , That would put the kashmir dog under strong leash and put us in commanding position wrt to Kashmir and Afghanistan.

In Geopolitics Countries are respected if they act even if that means it comes at a cost , like US and Russia acting in their interest , Pakistan in their same with china , We have a cry baby approach , cry loud hoping people would hear and change.

We are responsible for our own misery ! The last time we acted when IG liberated Bangladesh that was geo-political change done beyond that it was just down hill from there.

It sound simply ridiculous. Telling Putin "i won't let you build rectors for us unless you get China to ....." sound utterly childish and makes India look impotent.A fars wifter way of dealing with the Chinese is to immediately send a high-powered delegation to Taiwan,give all Chinese only stapled visas and introduce 300% duty tariffs on all Chinese goods ,banning fireworks,consumer white goods,mobile phones,etc.,etc. so that the $50B trade gap will cease to exist! Accompanying this,more ICBM tests with media statements that they're meant for China,will p[ut the bayonet up Beijing's butt.BMos and other missile sales to Vietnam the cheery on the top. watch the Chinese hyyperventilate after that and watch them come around.

In many respects Mr.Modi and Putin are similar creatures. Just as Putin has the history of invasion by the West to fear,so too does Mr.Modi and India of invasion by Islamic forces over the last 500 years from the NWEst,and Chinese from the North/NEast. We even had the Japanese from Burma in WW2.

It is only nationalist leaders that can stem the rot in India and Russia,both nations who saw weak,spineless,leaders like Yeltsin and Snake-Oil Singh sell their nations to western robber-barons. With Trump in the White House and selling hundreds of billions of arms to the Saudis and Arabs,who plan to have their own Arab NATO led by a former Paki army chief, The warning light must have gone in in South Block. One sincerely hopes that Mr.Modi leverages as much as he can with Pres. Putin in a mutually beneficial manner so that both countries come out winners for the present and future. Russia is perhaps the only constant friend whom we have which does not have designs upon us unlike others who wish us to be a dutiful vassal .

This is difficult to agree with. Imho Modi isnt much different from MMS. And the islamic threat or influence of its history on current policies is exaggerated. I doubt Modi has that in mind either. It is more of Cheeni-Paki collaboration which occupies indian mind. Islamic NATO is anyway an anti-Iran project.And the Cheeni-paki collaboration is driving India into US arms. Russian bonhomie with China is an unspoken problem in New Delhi. Americans/Japanese are more willing to counter Cheeni threat both economically and with weapons. Complications in joint production like PAKFA are aggravating the Indo-roosi problems.Putin is a nationalist and is getting lemon from the west. So he has only China as a powerful friend. Neither India nor Russia have a choice. They are both doing what pragmatism demands.

It sound simply ridiculous. Telling Putin "i won't let you build rectors for us unless you get China to ....." sound utterly childish and makes India look impotent.A fars wifter way of dealing with the Chinese is to immediately send a high-powered delegation to Taiwan,give all Chinese only stapled visas and introduce 300% duty tariffs on all Chinese goods ,banning fireworks,consumer white goods,mobile phones,etc.,etc. so that the $50B trade gap will cease to exist! Accompanying this,more ICBM tests with media statements that they're meant for China,will p[ut the bayonet up Beijing's butt.BMos and other missile sales to Vietnam the cheery on the top. watch the Chinese hyyperventilate after that and watch them come around.

When NaMo uses leverage we outrage that he hasn't surrendered to Putin on Kudankulam reactors. Its Russia that benefits with better order books for reactors when #5 and #6 are ordered.

Philip, You know better, Taiwan is a puppy dog. And except giving satisfaction it wont do anything real. As for the rest its Indian consumers who will have to pay higher.Does Indian mfg have plans in place to step up to replace Chinese goods?

Buy up those reactors if we need them. If we got solar panels taking care of energy needs and dont need them then dont. Russia wont be choosing India over China anytime.After getting lemons from the west for decades, ascendant slavophiles in Moscow need China. Their positions on Iran, Syria and now North Korea align perfectly. But we should work to ensure that the Chinese do not have an unchecked influence in Moscow. The changing Russian position on Afghanistan and Pakistan seems to suggest so.

So the story of our refusing to buy Kudankulam 5/6 unless Putin changes PRC's position at the NSG was just that: a story. And to think that M K Bhadrakumar (the voice of the PRC/TSP axis) wrote an article based on this...Vested interests entrenched in the media appear to be bent on spoiling our relation with Russia. The same interests would tell us to ignore the 110+ billon$ arms sale to the Islamic NATO, some of which is certain to be directed against us.

>>Vested interests entrenched in the media appear to be bent on spoiling our relation with Russia.

There is no question about this. We can expect a sustained assault aimed at undermining the foundations of our relationship with Russia. Not there are no problems, but the bilateral links between the two countries are not new and the people responsible know these problems and how to handle them. No relationship is perfect, and this is no different. However, there is a clear trend in the media to apply various means to inject poison, distrust and a general sense of drift in the ties between the two countries.

This is probably part of the normal budget for such operations is my belief. It is just that there is more money being poured into it from different sources (US+Allies, China-Pak, Arab Gulf, Iran - in that order). Hence the frequency of it.

Indo-Russia ties won't be the only target. Nearly a decade ago, it was warned on BRF that there will be a sustained focus on various "pressure points" - as perceived from outside. Caste, Language, "Ethnicity", "superstitious practices", environmental issues, family disruption (every effort will be leveraged to ensure that family cohesion is damaged to the max), etc... More money is being poured into these partly because we are gaining strength as a country, and there's more money available for it - substitution from the cold war issues of interest. The commies have less money these days, so they have descended into pure violence, etc.

sum wrote:^^ Sometimes find it hard to make it if this site is BR or US-Rakshak or Russ-Rakshak. Seems its always easier to find a US PoV or Russian PoV than the Indian PoV in many of these foreign policy threads!!

Actually one needs intellect and tolerance to entertain an idea that one may not fully agree with. Branding other fellows ideas as traitorous and not in indian interests is the shortest route to prohibiting a discussion and countering the purpose of the forum.

anjan wrote:The level of Russian apologia is impressive. A former HC to Pakistan, a known hawk, writes an assessment and friends of Russia clearly know better. As they say... Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is enemy action.

We should all prostrate before the known hawk and surrender our brains.

The amount of `I am the only saviour of India` perpetually pushed here is amazing. And often when that is the only contribution someone has to make in a thread for a long time.

Dated article. A little history to remind how communism is close cousin of islamism. Is communism compeletely defeated? Some policy makers are strongly convinced that communism is still very much alive but in a different garb. Much of that drives policies dealing with it. So far as India is concerned,India is still a student and is learning about Russia. India remains a perennial student... mostly due to sentimental reasons. There is lot to learn and guide realtionships based on realistic approach, instead most policy wonks are swayed due to emotions and make bad deals all around. This blinders is very strong when dealing with Russia.

"Red Army soldiers don't believe in 'individual liaisons' with German women," wrote the playwright Zakhar Agranenko in his diary when serving as an officer of marine infantry in East Prussia. "Nine, ten, twelve men at a time - they rape them on a collective basis." Calls to avenge the Motherland, violated by the Wehrmacht's invasion, had given the idea that almost any cruelty would be allowed. Even many young women soldiers and medical staff in the Red Army did not appear to disapprove. "Our soldiers' behaviour towards Germans, particularly German women, is absolutely correct!" said a 21-year-old from Agranenko's reconnaissance detachment. A number seemed to find it amusing. Several German women recorded how Soviet servicewomen watched and laughed when they were raped. But some women were deeply shaken by what they witnessed in Germany. Natalya Gesse, a close friend of the scientist Andrei Sakharov, had observed the Red Army in action in 1945 as a Soviet war correspondent. "The Russian soldiers were raping every German female from eight to eighty," she recounted later. "It was an army of rapists." The subject of the Red Army's mass rapes in Germany has been so repressed in Russia that even today veterans refuse to acknowledge what really happened. The handful prepared to speak openly, however, are totally unrepentant. "They all lifted their skirts for us and lay on the bed," said the leader of one tank company. He even went on to boast that "two million of our children were born" in Germany. Domination and humiliation permeated most soldiers' treatment of women in East Prussia. The victims not only bore the brunt of revenge for Wehrmacht crimes, they also represented an atavistic target as old as war itself. Rape is the act of a conqueror, the feminist historian Susan Brownmiller observed, aimed at the "bodies of the defeated enemy's women" to emphasise his victory. Yet after the initial fury of January 1945 dissipated, the sadism became less marked. By the time the Red Army reached Berlin three months later, its soldiers tended to regard German women more as a casual right of conquest. The sense of domination certainly continued, but this was perhaps partly an indirect product of the humiliations which they themselves had suffered at the hands of their commanders and the Soviet authorities as a whole.In Dahlem, Soviet officers visited Sister Kunigunde, the mother superior of Haus Dahlem, a maternity clinic and orphanage. The officers and their men behaved impeccably. In fact, the officers even warned Sister Kunigunde about the second-line troops following on behind. Their prediction proved entirely accurate. Nuns, young girls, old women, pregnant women and mothers who had just given birth were all raped without pity.

Estimates of rape victims from the city's two main hospitals ranged from 95,000 to 130,000. One doctor deduced that out of approximately 100,000 women raped in the city, some 10,000 died as a result, mostly from suicide. The death rate was thought to have been much higher among the 1.4 million estimated victims in East Prussia, Pomerania and Silesia. Altogether at least two million German women are thought to have been raped, and a substantial minority, if not a majority, appear to have suffered multiple rape.